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Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) says his state has been hit by an “avalanche of intolerance” ever since he signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act last week.

“George, look, the issue here is, you know, is tolerance a two-way street or not?” Pence told ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.

“I mean, you know, there’s a lot of talk about tolerance in this country today having to do with people on the left. But here Indiana steps forward to protect the constitutional rights and privileges of freedom of religion for people of faith and families of faith in our state, and this avalanche of intolerance that’s been poured on our state is just outrageous.”

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Pence said the bill he signed is not about discrimination, nor is it about disputes between individuals unless government action is involved. He said the law is intended to empower individuals (as well as churches and businesses) when they believe the government is trampling on their religious freedom by requiring them to do things they oppose on religious grounds.

Critics say the new law will sanction discrimination against homosexuals.

“The Religious Freedom Restoration Act was signed into federal law by President Bill Clinton more than 20 years ago,” Pence noted. “And it lays out a framework for ensuring that a very high level of scrutiny is given any time government action impinges on the religious liberty of any American.”

Indiana is the 20th state to enact a law modeled after the federal legislation. Barack Obama voted for a similar law when he served in the Illinois State Senate.

Stephanopoulos asked Pence if the law will allow Christian florists who oppose same-sex marriage to refuse to serve homosexual couples, for example:

“George, the – the question here is if the – if there is a government action or a law that an individual believes impinges on their religious liberty, they have the opportunity to go to court, just as The Religious Freedom Restoration Act that Bill Clinton signed allowed them – go to court and the court would evaluate the circumstance under the standards articulated in this Act.

“That’s all it is. And when you see these headlines about – about Indiana, a license to discriminate in Indiana and – and – it just – I’m telling you, George, it is a red herring and I think it’s deeply troubling to millions of Americans and – and, frankly, people all across the state of Indiana who feel troubled about government overreach.

“This isn’t about disputes between individuals, it’s about government overreach. And I’m proud that Indiana stepped forward and I’m working – I’m working hard to clarify this.”

On Monday, Republican lawmakers in Indiana said they plan to add language to the state law to clarify that it doesn’t allow discrimination against gays and lesbians.

But neither Pence nor those Republican lawmakers support the inclusion of language making homosexuals a protected class under the state’s civil rights laws.

Indiana’s Tony Katz was on NewsMax earlier today to talk about the idiotic backlash to the new Religious Freedom law in Indiana. One of the things he mentioned was how despicable and horrible it was for George Stephanopoulos to try and make the law about sexual orientation when he says it has nothing to do with that.

On April 12, 2015 I will compete in the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Florida to raise funds for the care and treatment of wounded warriors and dependent children who have suffered sever brain injuries. The funds will provide customized treatment programs to individuals at the Brain Treatment Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization in Texas.

My Story: I served over 21 years as a United States Navy SEAL. On my last deployment to Iraq I was severely wounded in April of 2007. Upon entering a 12 x 12 foot room, I was shot twenty-seven times at close range and received shrapnel wounds from a grenade. I was shot in both legs, both arms, my left thumb was almost amputated, I was shot in the abdomen and had a colostomy bag for a year, my right scapula was shattered, I was shot twice in the buttocks, once in the scrotum and my body armor was hit multiple times which caused fractured ribs and contusions on my lungs. This was a single gunfight at an ordinary day at the office. I was there and don’t believe it happened. I walked out of that house on my own two legs to the MEDIVAC helicopter and was transported to National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, via Baghdad and Landstuhl, Germany. My survival was an absolute miracle! I am a miracle and was saved to do greater things!

My life’s mission now not about me. Rather, it is to care for and lead my wounded brothers and sisters. My fellow warriors deserve the best available treatment for their injuries. The Brain Treatment Foundation is the non-profit division of The Carrick Brain Treatment Center, an organization that delivers state-of-the-art customized treatment programs to individuals suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and other neurological issues. I have personally seen the results of their work and am confident that they will continue to change lives.

Thank you in advance for your support, I am grateful.

God Bless,

Mike

PS. If you would like make an “offline” donation by sending a check please email me at; mikeday71@hotmail.com

NBC’s Richard Engel reported Friday that U.S. officials were stunned they were not given any notice before Saudi Arabia launched attacks against Houthi rebels. According to Engel, military leaders were finding out about the developments on the Yemen border in real time.

Engel said officials from both the military and members of Congress believe they were not given advanced warning because the Arab nations do not trust the Obama administration after they befriended Iran.

“Saudi Arabia and other countries simply don’t trust the United States any more, don’t trust this administration, think the administration is working to befriend Iran to try to make a deal in Switzerland, and therefore didn’t feel the intelligence frankly would be secure. And I think that’s a situation that is quite troubling for U.S. foreign policy,” Engel said.